Hi all,

Before I start, I'd like to say that I'm new to this community, so I
apologize if I breach any rules of etiquette here. I've been searching
for this information using Google Groups and it looks like people can
get touchy when discussion turns commercial. I'm only looking for
information. Also, this post may be a little long winded, but I'm not
sure what information is or isn't important, so I'm erring on the side
of inclusion. Thanks for your patience with a tea novice.

I started drinking good tea a couple of years ago, and late last June,
started ordering from Upton. In particular, I ordered a Risheehat
First Flush that I liked very much. The aroma was very strong at this
point, and probably for the next month or two. I stored the tea in
Upton's tin, put in a cool dark place. By October, however, the aroma
of the tea became less pronounced, and the flavor less complex.

Now, in early February, I ordered a bunch of first and second flush
samples from Upton. I'm pretty happy with some of the second flushes,
but the first flushes seem to have lost potency just as my Risheehat
did. I thought this might be the quality of the tea; luckily, I'd
ordered the Risheehat again as a check. Sure enough, it tasted and
smelled like it did after a few months with me last time. I'm not sure
what to make of this, since the tea itself is around a year old at
this point.

So here are my questions:

1. Is this shelf life the best I can expect, or is there something I
can do to improve my storage? A few months seems a bit short to me.
2. Is this level of freshness what I can expect from all vendors, or
does Upton have a freshness issue?

I really loved the tea when it was fresh (or at least fresher), so I
was thinking of buying all my Darjeeling tea this year direct from
India.

3. Would this get me fresher and/or better tea than careful selection
from Upton or another (please recommend) US vendor?
4. If so, can anyone recommend and talk about their experience with a
particular site or distributor? I've seen Thunderbolt Tea, Tea
Emporium, and Lochan's sites. All of them look nice enough, but I'd
like to get some consumer opinions. I do know that their proprietors
(as well as Upton's) occasionally show up here; their input is very
welcome even if I'll take it with a grain of salt.

I'd also be interested in similar information for Assams or Nilgiris
if anyone has it. I have family in Bangalore so if anyone knows a good
Nilgiri, even if it's only sold locally, I'd appreciate the tip.

Thanks so much for your help!

Omkar